A Low-Ranking Han Official

I can't understand when it became politically correct to smear Emperor Wu of Han. They say he was a warmonger who ruined the Han Dynasty, but they completely ignore the fact that he conquered over 130 large and small kingdoms and tribes during his lifetime, including Yelang (Guizhou), Dian (Yunnan), Pyu (Myanmar), Minyue (Fujian), Nanyue (Guangdong and Vietnam), Dayuan, and Korea.

The protagonist rises to power by any means necessary, becoming either a cruel official or a pioneer of reform, but will inevitably meet a tragic end; the day he succeeds will also be the day he dies.

Without powerful connections and with mediocre luck, he would have died long ago. Historically, most truly remarkable figures were exceptionally lucky; those with bad luck all perished.

Novels about characters who act as lackeys for feudal emperors are no longer popular. If you look at the top 10 historical novels on the monthly ticket rankings, either the protagonist is an emperor from the start, or they rebel.

Firstly, Qin, being part of the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods, was generally considered the legitimate dynasty. The Zhou emperor was still widely recognized, though his own decline led to the strife among the feudal lords. Qin's conquest of the six states wasn't merely the destruction of states, but the extermination of the recognized feudal clans, thus inciting public outrage.

You can tell from the description that this is just wishful thinking; feel free to come and prove me wrong.

Here we go again, the same old people always seem to appear in historical novel comment sections. They don't care if the writing is good or bad, or if it's plausible. Their first comment is always: "The protagonist is so strong, the emperor will kill him!" This kind of talk appears in almost every historical fiction where the protagonist is a regent.

We cannot judge historical figures by today's standards, because their influence is part of the current criteria; without that influence, the standards wouldn't exist today. We cannot stand on the heads of giants and laugh at their perceived inferiority.

Anyone who says this without considering the historical context, economic foundation, level of public awareness, production capacity, or current development is simply brainless.

A well-developed comment section should include idiom chain games. First one: The cycad blooms!